Rebel the Status Quo
by lucielhyung
Summary: Natsu never cared for romance and soulmates until the day he met her and his perspective on the world changed.


Natsu never cared for soulmates. He found it ridiculous that so many people obsessed over finding out who their soulmate was. There was so much more to life than just romance. There was no point in searching since people meet their soulmate when they are destined to. Some people meet their soulmate as early as middle school like his friends Erza and Jellal did. Others might not meet their soulmate until they are almost 30 years old. There were many different ways to meet your soulmate in this world. Some people could not see color until they met their soulmate or others meet their soulmate in their dreams until they meet in person. Natsu was born with a red tattoo of a fairy with a tail on his upper arm. He had met a few others who have the same tattoo except they were located on another area of their body and were a different color. He figured that was a sign to find his soulmate.

Natsu never cared for soulmates. Until he met her.

* * *

The irritating shrill of the school bell woke the pink-haired boy from his slumber. Natsu yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes as he tried to process his surroundings. He closed the textbook he propped up on his desk to shield him from his teacher's view, and stuffed his notebook into his backpack. Natsu didn't hate English class, but the book they started to read was boring so he dozed off.

"Wow. First week into our junior year of high school, and you're already sleeping in class."

Natsu raised his eyebrow and glared at his dark-haired friend. "Shut up Gray. I saw your eyes closing too!"

Gray smirked. "Yeah but I didn't fall asleep."

"Yeah yeah. Whatever," Natsu muttered as he stretched his arms and got up from his seat. Natsu's friendship with Gray mostly consisted of the two of them roasting each other. However, they were both fiercely loyal to each other.

"I'll see you at lunch," Natsu waved as he walked out of the classroom.

"Later."

Natsu dragged himself to his next class, feeling groggy from his nap. His next class was AP Chemistry. He enjoyed the subject, but he wished that one of his friends shared that class with him. Most of his friends opted to take Psychology or Economics instead. Gray was his only friend who also took Chemistry, but he was in a different class. When he reached the classroom, Natsu threw his backpack on the ground and slumped in his seat. He rested his head in his arms and closed his eyes to relax for a bit until class started. The second bell rang, signaling that class has started. The other students stopped chatting with their friends when the teacher began to speak. Natsu raised his head and leaned back in his seat.

"Okay! Today you are all going to pair up to work on this lab together," Mr. Conbolt began to explain as he handed out the lab worksheets. Natsu scanned the instructions on his worksheet. It didn't look very difficult to complete. Natsu's thoughts were interrupted when he felt a light poke on his shoulder. He turned his head to meet warm brown eyes.

A girl with long straight blonde hair smiled at him. She was very pretty. "Uh..hi! If you don't mind, can you be my partner for this lab. I'm new here, so I don't really know anyone."

"Yeah that's fine! I don't have any friends in this class anyway," Natsu agreed, grinning at the blonde.

"Thank you! I'm Lucy Heartfilia," she introduced herself.

Natsu held up a peace sign. "I'm Natsu Dragneel. Nice to meet ya!"

"Likewise!"

Natsu was about to return his attention to the teacher until he noticed the tattoo on Lucy's right hand. She had the same tattoo of as him. A fairy with a tail. However, he noted that the color of it was pink unlike his red one. Natsu released a breath he didn't know he was holding. He almost thought that he met his soulmate, but he figured that the tattoo would have to match in color as well.

Lucy raised her eyebrow in confusion, snapping Natsu out of his thoughts. He smiled awkwardly at her and turned around to face Mr. Conbolt in order to listen to him clarify any questions about the lab. After Mr. Conbolt answered all the questions, the class got up and shifted to the back of the classroom to the lab stations. Natsu grabbed a pair of goggles for himself and Lucy as she tied up her hair into a ponytail.

"Thank you!" Lucy smiled as he handed the goggles to her.

Natsu returned the smile. "No problem!"

Lucy glanced at the worksheet. "So how do you want to divide this?"

"I can set up the bunsen burner while you grab the equipment and chemicals we need," Natsu suggested. Lucy nodded and walked to the back table to grab the materials they needed. When she returned, they started working immediately.

"Sooo...you're new here?" Natsu asked in order to break the ice.

"Yeah. I used to be homeschooled, but my dad allowed me to attend public school this year," she explained. Natsu noticed the hint of sadness in the tone of her voice when she mentioned her father.

"How are you liking public school so far?"

"It's nice so far, but I'm not used to being around so many people my age. Thankfully, I was able to become friends with a girl named Levy."

Natsu's eyes lit up at the sound of the familiar name. "I know her! She hangs out with my group of friends sometimes."

"Really?! That's cool!" Lucy exclaimed. Natsu could tell that she starting to become more comfortable around him.

"Do you have lunch next period?" Natsu asked, and Lucy nodded in response.

"You can sit with me and my friends if you want," Natsu suggested.

Lucy grinned. "I would love to! I've been sitting alone these first few days."

"They can be crazy, but I think you'll like them," Natsu chuckled.

Natsu and Lucy chatted away for the rest of the class, talking about their favorite tv shows or games they liked to play. After they finished their lab, they cleaned up, answered the questions on their worksheet, and turned it in. When the bell rang, Natsu waited for Lucy to pack up her stuff so they could walk to the cafeteria together.

When they got closer to the cafeteria, Natsu noticed that Lucy started to slow down. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just worried. What if they don't like me?" Lucy admitted.

"Nah! They'll love ya. You're pretty cool," Natsu assured her.

As he expected, Lucy was able to fit in right away. She didn't talk a lot in the beginning. He figured she was intimidated by the energy of his friends at first. However, she gradually opened up and it felt as if she was always part of his friend group by the end of the lunch period.

* * *

As the months passed by, Lucy grew closer to Natsu and his friends. He was able to see different sides to her personality. She was a sweet girl, but she was also scary when she was angry. She was also very intelligent and talented. Natsu wasn't the biggest fan of reading, but he enjoyed reading all the stories she wrote. Lucy aspired to be an author one day, and he was confident that she would be successful since even a guy like him enjoyed reading her stories.

Natsu was friends with a lot of girls, but his relationship with Lucy was not the same as the others. They had their differences, but they also had their similarities, which allowed them to work well together. There was this pleasant feeling Natsu couldn't identify whenever he spent time with Lucy. He never felt it with anyone else.

He didn't understand what he was feeling until it came crashing down on him that day.

* * *

Natsu leaned back against the tree, sighing in satisfaction. He had just stuffed his face at a buffet with Lucy as a way to celebrate AP exams being over, and they decided to stop by a local park before heading home. Natsu closed his eyes and relished in the feeling of the cool spring breeze. After a few seconds, his eyes fluttered open and he was captivated by the sight in front of him. Lucy was standing a few feet in front of him, sniffing a rose. Her long blonde hair flowed with the wind while her soft pink lips were pulled into a sweet smile. The sun's rays made her look radiant and serene. Natsu always thought that Lucy was pretty but in that moment, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

He wanted that image to be ingrained in his memory forever.

The sound of his name snapped him out of his trance. He noticed that Lucy was looking at him with a confused expression on his face. He turned his head to the side to hide the blush forming on his cheeks.

"Natsu, what's wrong? You seem to have zoned out," Lucy asked as she sat right next to him against the tree.

"N-nothing. I thought saw something weird behind you. That's all," Natsu lied.

"Hmm if you say so," Lucy said, stretching out her legs.

"So what do you want to do afterwards? We could go over to my house and play Smash Bros," Natsu suggested in order to change the topic.

"Sure! That would be fun. I'm not in a rush to go home anyway," Lucy agreed.

Even though they've known each other for a while now, Natsu knew very little about her family. Lucy never spoke much about them besides a few stories from her childhood. He was curious.

"So Lucy...you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I noticed that you never seem to talk about your family. I've never been to your home either," Natsu asked, letting his curiosity get the best of him.

The blonde stiffened at his question, causing Natsu to immediately fill with regret until she relaxed and let out a melancholic sigh. "I don't really like to talk about it, but I trust you."

Lucy turned her head to face him, tears poking at the corner of her eyes. "My mom had been ill for a while. Last summer, she succumbed to it. I knew that she did not have that much time left to live, but it was still so sudden. My dad couldn't handle the pain. He closed himself off to everyone. Even me. He hardly ever talks to me anymore. I don't have any siblings, so I f-feel r-really lonely whenever I'm at home."

Lucy sniffled as she wiped the tears that cascaded down her cheeks. Natsu felt his heartbreak at the sight. He had an inkling that her home life wasn't very happy, but he had no idea she went through all of that.

"I'm so sorry to hear that.." Natsu whispered. He slowly lifted his hand off the ground and placed it on top of hers, squeezing it. Natsu was bad at responding to these kind of situations with words, so he hoped he could convey how he felt through his actions.

"Not a lot of people know this, but Igneel isn't my biological father. My parents died in an accident when I was 4 years old. I barely remember them. Igneel adopted my brother Zeref and I afterwards," Natsu shared. He was very happy that Lucy trusted him enough to open up about her family, so he felt that she deserved to know about his.

Lucy looked at him in shock. "Wow, I never would have guessed. You guys are so similar."

Natsu smiled wistfully. "I've never thought of him as a step-father though. He will always be a father to me."

Lucy returned the smile before she leaned her head against his shoulder and turned her hand, so she could lock her fingers with his. "Thank you Natsu. I've always kept this to myself. Telling this to someone else is so satisfying. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest."

Natsu rested his head against the top of hers. "I'm glad. Remember that I'm always here for you."

The two of them remained in that position for a while. Natsu didn't want to let her go. He finally understood the pleasant feeling he felt whenever he was around Lucy.

I get it now. I'm in love with Lucy.

* * *

Is it possible to fall in love with someone who is not your soulmate?

Natsu found himself asking that question everyday ever since he realized that he was in love with Lucy. He heard that some people would hook up with people they find attractive prior to finding their soulmate, but dating someone who wasn't their soulmate was rare. Lucy had the same tattoo as him on her body but hers was a different color. Normally, people would have the exact same tattoo or birthmark on their body.

Natsu covered his face with his arm to muffle his groan, earning a weird look from his neighbor. He didn't care though. He felt frustrated with his newfound feelings. He never really cared about love and meeting his soulmate before, but now he is in love with a girl who is most likely not his soulmate. He wondered if Lucy already met her soulmate but hadn't told him. However, he knew she would have definitely told him if she did.

The sound of the dismissal bell ringing snapped Natsu out of his thoughts. All of the students rushed out of the classroom, eager to go home or go to their after school clubs. Natsu grabbed his backpack and walked to the library. He planned to meet Lucy at the library, so she could help him write his final essay for English. When he walked in there, he saw her standing by the bookshelf closest to the door. Natsu was about to call out her name until he noticed that she wasn't alone. Lucy was talking to a dark-haired boy who wore glasses. Her cheeks were tinted red and she was avoiding eye contact.

"So do you wanna grab a coffee later?" He heard the boy ask.

"Sorry I can't. I promised a friend that I would help him write his essay," Lucy replied.

"That's okay. Maybe another time," the boy smiled before he took out his phone from his pocket. "Can I get your number?"

Lucy took out her phone from her pocket. "Sure."

They exchanged their phone numbers while Natsu stared in shock, trying to process the scene that just occurred. Natsu quickly hid behind the other shelf when the dark-haired boy turned towards his direction. He watched him leave the library before he took a deep breathe and decided to approach Lucy. She was staring at the pink tattoo on her hand as if she was in a trance.

"Hey Lucy!" Natsu greeted, causing her to flinch.

Natsu saw a gleam of sadness flash through her eyes before she regained her composure. "Dammit Natsu! You scared me. I told you not to sneak up on me like that!"

"You were zoned out. Not my fault," he retorted, crossing his arms. "So...who was that guy you were talking to?"

Lucy's eyes widened briefly before she turned her gaze away from him. "His name is George. I bumped into him while I was looking for a new book to read. I-I g-guess he's my soulmate since we have matching tattoos."

Natsu felt his heart sink. He knew that she was most likely not his soulmate, but the confirmation hurt more than he expected. He pushed away his feelings and mustered a wide fake grin. "That's awesome Lucy! Why waste time on me? Go spend time with him."

Lucy stared at him with wide eyes for a second before she finally spoke. "O-oh. I see. Are you sure?"

Why does she sound so disappointed?

Natsu turned his head away from her, pretending to look for a book. "Yeah I'll be fine. I'll just ask Erza to help me instead or figure it out on my own. Go have fun."

"Um alright. I guess I'll see you later," Lucy waved before exiting the library so she could call him.

Natsu groaned and staggered to the nearest table, so he could sit down. He placed his backpack on the table, so he could rest his head against it. He wished he had never developed feelings for Lucy. Life was easier when he did not care about love.

I guess Lucy and I were just meant to be friends.

"Natsu?"

The pink-haired boy raised his head at the sound of his name. He saw Erza looking back at him with a worried expression. "Hi Erza."

Erza grabbed the chair next to his, so she could sit down. "What's wrong? You look upset."

Natsu contemplated on whether he should tell Erza or not before finally speaking up. "Erza...did you ever like anyone else before you met Jellal?"

Erza raised her eyebrow. "No. I thought some boys were cute, but I never had feelings for them. What's up?"

"Is it possible...to fall in love with someone who is not your soulmate?"

"Hmm I think it's possible. Most people don't fall in love with people other than their soulmate, but there has been some rare cases," she explained.

Natsu frowned. "I see."

Erza placed her hand on his shoulder. "Natsu...I've been wondering. Are you in love with Lucy?"

Natsu jumped in his seat. How did she know?

"I'll take that as a yes," she said in response to his reaction.

"Is it obvious?" he whispered.

"I don't know about that. I understand how it feels to be in love, so it's probably easier for me to notice compared to others."

Natsu nodded. That made sense. Erza was the first one to find her soulmate in his group of friends after all.

"Well I just found out that she met her soulmate, so I guess this is one of the rare cases," Natsu lamented.

"Honestly.. I think she feels the same way," Erza admitted, causing Natsu to stare at her in shock.

"Please don't be saying that to make me feel better. She met her soulmate," Natsu pleaded.

"I'm not. I don't want to give you false hope.. I've been observing you two, and I think Lucy is in love with you as well," Erza reassured.

"Even if she is, she'll probably fall in love with her soulmate now."

Erza rubbed his back. "Was she happy to find out he's her soulmate?"

Natsu crossed his arms as he recalled the events that just occurred. "She was blushing, but she seemed disappointed when I told her to spend time with him."

Erza smiled. "See!"

Natsu felt his mood lift. It was highly possible that Lucy returned his feelings.

"You love her, right?"

"I do!"

"Tell her! If she's in love with you too, there's got to be a reason behind all of this," Erza encouraged.

Natsu grinned in determination. "I will!"

* * *

Natsu waited by the tree in the park. That tree has become special to him since that is where Lucy and him opened up about their families. That is where he realized that he loved her.

He was anxious and the feeling got worse when he saw the blonde approach him. However, he knew he needed to reveal his feelings. He had to know.

"Hey Natsu! What's up?" Lucy greeted while flashing a peace sign.

"Lucy…how are things with George?"

"We got coffee yesterday. He's pretty cool. He likes reading and writing as well! He gave me advice on how to improve my writing," Lucy responded.

Wow he sounds perfect for her. Maybe I shouldn't do this.

"Is everything alright?" Lucy asked, smiling sweetly. Natsu felt his heart skip a beat at the sight.

Screw it. I need to know!

"Lucy…"

"Yes?"

Natsu tried to speak, but the words would just not come out.

"I'm sorry, but I have to know," he apologized before he cupped her cheek and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

Natsu closed his eyes and pressed his lips on top of hers. He felt her stiffen for a moment before she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Her lips felt soft and warm against his own. He slowly moved back, pressing his back against the tree. She prevaded all of his senses. All he could think was Lucy, Lucy, and Lucy.

He slowly let go of her, and his eyes fluttered open to meet hers. She was smiling widely with tears poking at the corner of her eyes. She cupped his face with her hands and rested her forehead against his. "Natsu. I can't believe this. I've been dreaming of this for a while now."

Natsu closed his eyes, relishing in the warmth of her body. "Really?"

Lucy pulled away but she didn't remove her hands from his cheeks. "Yes! Oh my god. Yes! I love you so much!"

Natsu grinned and and placed his hand on top of hers. "Lucy, I love you so much! I'm so happy that you feel the same way."

Lucy sighed in happiness before she kissed him once again. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. Natsu returned the gesture and rested his chin on top of her head.

"What about George?" Natsu spoke up, breaking the silence.

"I don't care. He's nice, but I want to be with you!" Lucy exclaimed.

Natsu kissed her forehead. "I do too, and I'm not planning on letting you go."

After a few moments of basking in each other's warmth, Natsu reluctantly let her go. However, he froze when he noticed something was missing.

"What's wrong?" Lucy questioned.

Natsu pointed at her hand. "Lucy your tattoo is gone!" He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt to find that his own tattoo disappeared as well.

Lucy gasped. "You're right. It's gone."

Natsu gazed at her in confusion. "What does this mean?"

"I checked out a book about soulmates from the library recently. I read that there has been cases in which some people's sign to find their soulmate is a red herring. That they had to rebel against the norms of society to be with their actual soulmate," Lucy explained.

Lucy laughed in joy. "Natsu. You were my soulmate all along. These tattoos were a red herring!"

Natsu grinned from ear to ear before lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. "I'm so happy that it's always been you. I love you!"

Lucy giggled and rested her forehead against his again. "I love you too, and I will never let you go!"


End file.
